The EU, Who is really in charge - The Brussels Business

LE

I found this interesting documentary and would like to share it as an OP for an open discussion about the topic.
The French Lobbyist in the doc is a whore/prat/feckwit/moving target if I ever seen one, Total non-job scum that could be a big part of the EU problem that we have to deal with as far as end results go.
It's 1hr 25min long, a bit longer than an episode of Panorama.

THE BRUSSELS BUSINESS is a docu-thriller that dives into the grey zone underneath European democracy. An expedition into the world of the 15,000 lobbyists in the EU-capital, of the PR-conglomerates, think tanks and their all embracing networks of power and their close ties to the political elites

LE

Schengen has opened up Europe bar back ward places like England but on the whole, people are moving towards work - in one company in Ostrava where I work there are people from 19 EU countries bringing their multilingual talents to a company that supplies a company based in Reading that supplies the world - that is a bad thing?

Financially, there is a thread devoted to this. Done properly and enforced properly, it would work - like America does.

MIA

Schengen has opened up Europe bar back ward places like England but on the whole, people are moving towards work - in one company in Ostrava where I work there are people from 19 EU countries bringing their multilingual talents to a company that supplies a company based in Reading that supplies the world - that is a bad thing?

Financially, there is a thread devoted to this. Done properly and enforced properly, it would work - like America does.

Every project has its positives, but for me the negatives far outweigh this. European trade would work without heading down the road of full integration, with more accountability. Again, in my opinion, the current european situation is not sustainable and a comparison to the US is not favourable as they are only surviving by printing as much money as they can. At some point, that " fiscal cliff" they have is going to have to be dealt with

LE

Every project has its positives, but for me the negatives far outweigh this. European trade would work without heading down the road of full integration, with more accountability. Again, in my opinion, the current european situation is not sustainable and a comparison to the US is not favourable as they are only surviving by printing as much money as they can. At some point, that " fiscal cliff" they have is going to have to be dealt with

Not sure. Last war was when? We.ve expanded, badly, eastwards. Unfortunately, judicial systems were not up speck and still are not. I really still do believe in the EU but I agree that the accountability needs be enforced and on top of this, transparency. There is still far too much corruption in Europe.

MIA

If you count the Balkans, not too long ago. The big problem is, and I think you have hit the nail on the head, is the lack off accountability has lead to corruption at all levels that is now to ingrained to sort out. The rush to integrate countries with economies so out of kilter with the main players has left "us" with a situation that you could have seen a mile off. Lets not forget the Portugal and Spain were, in essence military dictatorships until not so long ago and so needed time to find there own feet in democracy before being flung into a federal union with nations much more advanced in terms of economy, legislature and public responsibility. Italy and Greece survived by the skin of their teeth and the less said about east of Berlin the better. Europe is a group of countries so different and so individualistic that it realistically has very little chance of success; too much water under the bridge. We can get along and trade with each other quite happily, but thats as far as it can ever go. The doomed Euro ( you cannot have a single currency with 16+ fiscal policies, bit like giving 20 people access to your current account and asking them all not to take the piss) will be the beginning of the end. When was the last time the EU books were signed off?

LE

I'd go with a genuine free trade area, no subsidies, free movement of labour etc. The idea of European UNION is abhorrent to me; there is no historical precedent and little public buy in. I do not want to live under European law, governed by some conglomerate multi-national government.

LE

I'd go with a genuine free trade area, no subsidies, free movement of labour etc. The idea of European UNION is abhorrent to me; there is no historical precedent and little public buy in. I do not want to live under European law, governed by some conglomerate multi-national government.

The original idea of the 'Common Market' if I remember correctly. Although you do wonder if the current objectives have always been there as a hidden agenda and the original scenario was done purely to get people to buy into it.

Maybe a common market between the Scandinavian nations plus Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria and us would have been good as we are all temperamentally similar. Anything with the French , Italians and Spanish would be doomed to failure.

As to having any former communist Bloc nation in ...... not a fecking chance. They still need a few generations to get up to some kind of recognisable civilisation.

Me xenophobic ? Yep, I've been to many of these nations and have seen them at home first hand.